Charles Jillings, CEO of Utilico, energized by strong economic momentum across Latin America. Watch the video here.
If you want to start at a crucial point, not dumping dozens of legal hours into the big mess, start investigating the importance of the side-project of the road access North which, as one of the conditions of the EIS, will require separate planning, impact assessment, including consideration of the opinion of the Boticas council. It is also noted in yesterday's 135 pages reports of the Public Prosecutor.
Any brouhaha aside, the report can be considered a solid legal assessment of the situation, as it is quite comprehensive and takes both national and superior legislation into account, such as European environmental directives, commitments that Portugal has entered into with the FAO, etc
Note that the report is not directly related with Operation Influencer of Dec 8 but with the law suit brought before the regional court of Mirandela against the validity of the EIS by the Covas do Barroso parish.
I second this.
Let today's news with the position of the Public Prosecutor sink in and your current penny stock SP is still a luxury.
https://www.dn.pt/917401647/mp-defende-nulidade-da-declaracao-de-impacto-ambiental-da-mina-de-litio-do-barroso/
And , No, you are not talking 1 crazy woman but dozens of private owners plus, most importantly, the Common Lands board. Compulsory purchase? Good luck. Common lands are of special protection under the Portuguese Constitution (article 82), and expropriation of Common Lands last happened under the regime of the "Estado Novo" of Salazar. If you cannot already smell the polemics involved take this one: Expropriation of Common Lands would are of no legal precedence under the current democracy, most certainly ending up with the higher national and international courts.
Let me get something straight on Portuguese cadaster North of Coimbra: There is no such thing. Confrontations rely on ancient stone markers and agreements between the parties involved. Only in the past decades such things as digital cadasters were invented and implemented rathe unsuccessfully - the latest of them being the (meanwhile voluntary) BUPi which SAV refers to in their latest press as legitimation. https://bupi.gov.pt/ GPS cadaster records with BUPi are, currently, not legally binding and not to be confused with a legal title - they are merely a claim of the proprietary. Conflicting land claims are to be resolved via a commission that calls parties with conflicting claims or, ultimately and in case the former is not successful, in court. A fool who thinks that SAVB and all the legal staff involved were not aware of this. They voluntarily chose the confrontation.
During all this newsletters and low-tier buy-ins, well what they do not tell you is that SAV’s participation in last weeks Raw Materials Week of the European Commission, yes the guys who will attribute Strategic Project status in the future, was canceled. Together with Lusorecursos and following the searches in 42 locations including those and SAV’s offices. Hang tight. It will all be good. https://www.publico.pt/2023/11/17/azul/reportagem/polemica-litio-governo-caiu-contratos-mantemse-pe-2070460
Let me add that I'm very sad about the resignation of DA. Probably his new role as chairman for his daughters London network of beauty service freelancers is a shoe that fits him better than leading this operation with unknown fate.
SAV itself strategically withdrew its PIN application at the end of 2019 after the responsible government board AICEP/CPAI signaled it would deny the status as long as EIA is not approved.
https://postimg.cc/WtYpjjcG
source: the CPAI archives
automated translation of the records below.
2019-12-02 CPAI informed that, following the meeting held on the 20th of this month, at AICEP's premises, Savannah Lithium, Lda, sent a letter, sent on the 26th to all CPAI members, requesting that the application for PIN recognition of the ``Mina do Barroso`` project be withdrawn, as it is not a priority for the company at this stage. AICEP will then proceed to close the application.
2019-11-26 Promoter formalizes the withdrawal of the PIN application
2019-11-21 AICEP / promoter meeting: AICEP recalled that, following a request made on 30.01.2019, the application for PIN status for the Mina do Barroso Project ("Project") was suspended until 31.10.2019. After the end of this period without additional elements being submitted, the Project will be scheduled by the Permanent Commission for Investor Assistance ("CPAI") which, considering the opinions received, will probably decide on the rejection of the application, except if the Promoter submits in due time a withdrawal request with a view to the possible submission of a new application after the issue of a favourable or conditioned favourable Environmental Impact Decision. The Promoter transmitted that, despite the concerns regarding possible unfavourable readings of a withdrawal of the PIN application due to the media exposure of the Project, it will evaluate such possibility, adding that, foreseeably, the Environmental Impact Study will be delivered at the Portuguese Environment Agency in January 2020
@Os I admire your pride. :-)))) A good weekend to all.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/16/serbia-blocks-rio-tintos-plan-to-mine-lithium-after-protests https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14615517.2021.2008600
09:53:55 "The proposal for the Barroso lithium mine is an example of what is called reckless criativity. Reckless criativity is highly discouraged in the ultra conservative mining industry because of the consequences of being wrong. The most important characteristic of wreckless criativity is the absence of any scaffolding, meaning that the new innovation does not build on previous innovations through a series of intermediate steps. With proper testing and verification of each step. The proposal for a hard-rock lithium mine with a tailings facility that stores a homogeneous mixture of waste rock and filtered tailings with a final height of 193 m is highly experimental. To the best of my knowledge, there is no operating lithium mine that stores filtered tailings. The height of the tallest filtered tailings storage facility for even a proposed lithium mine is 107 meters. There is no operating mine that stores a homogeneous mixture of waste rock and filtered tailings. And the tallest operating filtered tailings storage facility of any kind has a height of 70 m."
https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/committee-on-petitions_20211202-0900-COMMITTEE-PETI_vd
> Are you saying that this is the case?
Afirmativo.
Sorry to disappoint you. I won't designate a PR document "hard copy". The filtered tailings are the experimental rub here. No one in the industry has so far reached the 15% tailings humidity proposed by SAV without any further explanation of the apparently new processes to be applied. And even if these initial values would be technically possible, liquefaction would still be an issue. So why does no SAV document mention a "tailings dam"? We all know why. Extra costs and legal obligations of the EU mining waste directive would inevitably cause more work, delays and put DFS citeria some levels higher.
Here is the source of the hearing before the European Parliament cited in the news. Testimony of Dr Emerman from 9:41:00, MdB therein from 9:52:30. https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/committee-on-petitions_20211202-0900-COMMITTEE-PETI_vd
The full report of Dr Emerman can be consulted here (Portuguese only, sorry) https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/frCommC186_15.10.2021_annex2.pdf
from page 12 therein: "Crystal et al. (2018), “Commonly, projects are specifying (or promising) a target filter-cake moisture at the limit of the filter performance (including at the limit of the thickener’s ability to deliver feed at the required solids ratio). This has caused numerous examples where the operating performance does not consistently meet the target … Essentially, irrespective of site, ore body type, or filter press manufacturer, a 15% moisture content remains a typical target, while tracking of day-in and day-out moisture contents of filter cakes demonstrates that achievable moisture contents are often in the range of 17 to 18% when things are running smoothly and can be up to 20 to 23% when off-spec…‘Targets’ may be cited or promised, but achievable filter cake moisture contents and the variability of the process are not generally within the tailings engineer’s control..."
(Crystal, C., C. Hore, e I. Ezama, 2018. Filter-pressed dry stacking—Design considerations based on practical experience)
Ooops. "A lithium mine project in Portugal includes a design for a 193-metre high tailings dam that is “highly experimental” and an example of “reckless creativity”." Maybe jam of tomorrow is bait? https://www.mining.com/web/europes-green-deal-needs-to-get-round-anti-mining-roadblock/
The article is paid advertisement. After several complaints with the press authority a notice was added by the publisher.
@DormanLongNY
> Furthermore Portugal has the largest lithium reserves in Europe.
Can you back this up with data?
What we have is a team of a few geologists having signed contracts with SAV. These guys are trying to sell big lithium in Portugal since the 1980s (Earth Sciences School of Fernando Noronha). What they do not tell you is that most of this data is not considered indicated and measured, but inferred - thus with a low level of confidence. Fact is that a great part of the geological mapping at national level still has to be done. Thus the lithium exploration tender PT gov is launching since.. ehm 2017, and which now got a further delay through a recently announced Strategic Environmental Assessment at national level. One of the responsible gov officers from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Action, secretary of state João Galamba, is currently accused of corruption along a past hydrogen tender. In sum, things are going their 'Portuguese ways' and are thus pretty uncertain.
A great part of the estimated national lithium reserves is also of no relevance for battery value chain, as many of the known occurrences are either low grade, small veins, present contamination by technically problematic elements like Mg, or the geological setting as such presents problems: While there are proven - and economically viable - lithium concentration processes for the pegmatite type (Mina do Barroso), other occurrences, e.g. of lepidolite, there are no processes yet or they are still in the early lab stages without any economic relevance.
https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/economia/hidrogenio-galamba-e-pedro-siza-vieira-investigados-por-suspeitas-de-corrupcao_n1272912
What DA did not tell you: Since the initial EIA submission APA as environmental authority has already requested on 29 of July - within a document of 17 pages - clarifications on a lot of points in the thousands of pages heavy document. SAV replied they are unable to meet the deadline of 18 September to supply these clarifications and an extended deadline of 30 November - proposed by SAV - was agreed. Until then and SAV supplying the requested details, the EIA process will be on hold.
According to APA, the details requested are related to "three critical pillars of the EIA": 1. Proximity of the project to
World Agricultural Heritage sites. 2. Compensations measures related to possible impacts on the Tâmega river basin and related dams. 3. Local impacts and compatibility with the Water Framework Directive.
APA guy also notes that an earlier request of SAV, to apply for a status "project of national interest" (PIN) has been withdrawn by the company.
Source: Parliamentary hearing of APA on 16 September 2020, at around 1:34:55 into the recording until 1:39:30 http://media.parlamento.pt/site/XIVLEG/SL2/COM/11_CAEOT/CAEOT_20200916_VC.mp3
SAV/MdB mentioned in yesterdays EC press conference on lithium as a critical mineral for EU, from 10:10 on https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-194287
Complex issue. Mina do Barroso's problem is it's not single landowners to negotiate with but the big chunk of common land hold by the community. This is where Grandão and Reserverto pits sit.
Recently DA gave an interview to the Economic supplement of weekly Expresso, spreading some optimism (paywall): https://expresso.pt/economia/2020-07-17-David-Archer-presidente-da-concessionaria-do-litio-A-mina-do-Barroso-vai-trazer-um-periodo-de-prosperidade-a-regiao
To gain a social license of any sort, SAV should seriously consider to rebrand their Mina do Barroso to Quarry do Barroso. All shiny EU policy endeavours are duff if things on the ground are not sorted out.
Statement to a EU policy project on land use by the head of Mineral Resources of the Geological Survey of Portugal, LNEG, Daniel de Oliveira. All language quirks in the memo belong to them:
"Daniel – One should never consider a mine as closed. There are serious problems with
opening new Li-mine in Portugal, this is frustrating as many quarries already exist with
lithium as a product. Resistance is on an emotional, non-logical level and this movement is
growing. There is lots of ignorance and misinformation. People are much more used to
quarries. Land use is one of the most frustrating aspects of the job, particularly for mineral
raw materials, as a survey potential and deposits we know but we know which formations
have mineral potential. Never consider an old mine closed – this is never considered. When
a request for a report comes, we do the report but unfortunately not binding after we
delineated the deposits. Portugal LU used in ceramic industry. Large mine potential areas.
Large upset about new possible mine with upset populace against without any knowledge
about mining. There is a really big issue with villages (“against mining”) with a big sign –
don’t do the mine. Anti-mining movement have grown to the stage where government
officials have been chased away. When geology professors and students are on field trips
they have been attacked. Good news. On non-metallics people are used to quarries it is
known that the whole region will be depressed socially so therefore allowed. For metals –
survey increasingly difficult – There is a new requirement from the government that material
can only be mined in the country if it is also further processed in the country (“the additional
value added to Portugal”). This complicates things further as the development of smelters
meet resistance too. A public discussion going in Portugal takes into account that the
country not only having the mines but also the smelters to secure a higher added value is
delivered."
source: p 23 https://www.minland.eu/wp-content/uploads/Deliverable-8.3-Organization-of-events.pdf
5-6% is the Li2O content of spodumene concentrate, obtained through the first industrial processing step of crushing and froth floatation. For the mineral deposit itself, 6-2018 scoping study indicates values of between 1.01 and 1.21 % Li2O for the three main prospecting sites (Grandão, Reservatório, NOA). In European terms the SAV project performs quite well, pretty similar to the Austrian Koralpe project by European Lithium which equally make no headway in DFS terms since 2018. But on an international level of hard-rock projects in Australia and Northern America SAV is not even mid-tier https://pasteboard.co/IXRhl56.jpg - the table is from the Frontier Lithium presentation https://youtu.be/W1e_dWyy4Fw?t=470 with the SAV values from the 2018 scoping study added.
The same scoping study refers 11y of mine life (=active exploitation). Obviously the validity of the concession itself may be longer (currently extendible up to a total of 90y legally). There are quite a lot of legal implications to maintain the concession, the most urgent being at the moment the Environmental Impact Study delivery. Did not get my head around this yet but there is a legal limit and press of today mentions it. https://www.publico.pt/2020/03/06/economia/noticia/prazos-mina-litio-barroso-ja-estao-derrapar-1906630 Personally, I find it kind of strange they use the consideration of Spain as an excuse for the delay. The same contractor (VISA Consultores) has just delivered an EIS for a gold project (Minaport, Mina do Numão), 24 km from the border without special consideration of Spain at all: http://siaia.apambiente.pt/AIA.aspx?ID=3282 The Mina do Barroso concession lies 25 km from the border.
@Chameleon: Sure. All these post-crisis EU initiatives of the Raw Materials Initiative (2008) and industry policy For a European Industrial Renaissance (2014) confirm your point. Tourism is a sharp-edged monoculture.
Thanks and don't worry.. I'm not a farmer, nor personally involved.
People around here are not against mining as such. Or progress. Education may be a problem of the older rural generation, but a lot of the campaigning youngsters have very well understood that all their modern comfort is built upon mining either in their backyard or elsewhere. There are communities in Portugal that have solved this cost-benefit equation positively: we have a prosperous underground copper mine in Neves-Corvo, in the southern region of Alentejo (Iberian Pyrite Belt). Are there environmental problems, including dust rainfalls? Sure. But they are considered negligible and tolerable due to the economic development the mine brought to the region since 1989.
Unfortunately, the lithium proposals are different. Communicating an "open pit mine" in technical documents without any accompanying PR campaigning was a Social License belly flopper for SAV. Europe is not Africa. Mine life for the proposed projects in the northern Barroso is calculated to be about 11y (SAV Barroso project) and 15y (Lusorecursos). People are simply not willing to give up their way of life and lands for a small and quite short-term return that will not even feed one generation. Most of them know what industrial decline and forced emigration means. Their parents lived this, when mining and wool/linen industry declined mid XXth century. Although environmental arguments fly high in the press and with campaigners, the Portuguese lithium battle is already lost on these socio-economic grounds. National reserves proven by current exploration are simply too low in grade and quantity to make up for a substancial long-term mine development in the 20y+ range. If Li grades in the ore were higher they could make up for a lower impact underground exploitation, as in other projects existing worldwide and in the EU. If total quantities were larger mine life could increase drastically to back up the development argument. But both are not.
Greetings from Porto.